Victoria has over a decade of experience in the fashion industry and founded her award-winning adaptive fashion brand, Unhidden, in 2016 as part of her mission to normalize universal design through the lens of her own experience with disability.
Primark is teaming up with award-winning designer and disability rights advocate Victoria Jenkins to make adaptive fashion affordable. Jenkins, founder of Unhidden, brings over a decade of experience in the sector. The collaboration aims to introduce more adaptive clothing, benefiting the UK’s 16 million disabled people. More details will be revealed later this year.
Unhidden launched its first range in 2020 and became the first adaptive brand to become a member of the British Fashion Council and show at London Fashion Week.
The new partnership will see Victoria work with Primark to introduce more adaptive clothing following the launch of its first adaptive underwear collection in January.
Ann Marie Cregan, commercial director of Primark said: “We are proud to work with Victoria, who for years has been an active advocate for inclusive fashion and universal design across the industry.
“Like us, Victoria is passionate about making fashion accessible to everyone and we look forward to learning from her and working together to accelerate our ambition to bring more affordable adaptive fashion to the high street.”
Victoria Jenkins He added: “I am delighted to be working with Primark as part of my mission to bring affordable, adaptable fashion to the high street.
“The fact that Primark is recognising the needs of the disabled and chronically ill community and is taking action in such a meaningful way will change the lives of millions of people, and I am excited to be working with Primark to make this change a reality.”
In the UK, around 16 million people live with a disability and, according to research by Primark and the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers, more than half (59%) would buy more disabled clothing if it was available in major retailers. Currently, almost two-thirds (62%) of people living with a disability in the UK said they found it difficult to find clothing they felt comfortable and happy in due to their disability, health condition or impairment.
Adaptive clothing is designed to meet the comfort and accessibility needs of a wide range of disabilities, chronic illnesses, age-related needs, and post-operative patients. This is achieved through adapted closures and openings, as well as design changes.
Universal design is the process of creating products that are accessible to everyone.
Victoria will bring her extensive experience in this space to the Primark team and further details about the partnership will be revealed later this year.
In January, Primark unveiled its ambition to make adaptive fashion more affordable and easier to shop on the high street. As part of this vision, it outlined its plans to become a more accessible place to work and shop, in order to better serve the needs of its disabled colleagues and customers.
In recent years, Primark has expanded its ranges to offer more specialist products, including post-operative underwear, menopause ranges, period underwear and swimwear, but still at the same great value prices it is renowned for.
In 2023, Victoria was recognised by British Vogue magazine in their annual Vogue 25 list and was named the second most influential disabled person in The Shaw Trust Disability Power 100.
She is a passionate disability advocate, speaker and writer. In addition to her leading work in adaptive fashion, Jenkins is also an ambassador for Models of Diversity and Purple Tuesday and is a patron of icandance and Path to Success.
Note: The content of this press release has not been edited by Fibre2Fashion staff.
Fibre2Fashion (RM) Press Desk
